The Bedlam Impact: Part I

Joey Helmer

02/06/2011

SI examines just how OU's loss to OSU over the weekend in the first Bedlam match affects the season.

1. It killed the momentum--The Sooners were rolling as they entered Stillwater winners of four straight conference games for the first time since the Blake Griffin-led squad did it back in the 2008-09 season. They were riding a wave and really feeling good about themselves, picking up their first road victory of the year along the way, a road triumph over Iowa State in Ames. All of that was snapped away, as the Cowboys snapped the four-game winning streak.

2. OU fell down in the Big 12 pecking order--It's hard to believe the Sooners were tied for third seven games into the conference season, but that's just where they were at. After winning four consecutive outings, OU found itself in a tie with Texas A&M at 4-3 prior to facing off with OSU. But a loss knocked the Sooners down from that spot, dropping them into a three-way tie for fourth place with that same A&M squad and Missouri, who picked up a win over the weekend. A win would have left OU all alone in third, but that's not the case and instead, the Sooners are just 1/2 game ahead of OSU, Kansas State and Colorado in a similar three-way tie for seventh and a game out of 11th.

3. It delivered a major blow to OU's NIT hopes--Everyone knows the Sooners likely have no chance at the NCAA Tournament unless they win the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., in March. But they still have a chance at the NIT, given they really get hot down the stretch. A 13-9 overall record would have put them in position where they would have needed to go .500 the rest of the way for a solid NIT resume. But now they will presumably have to go 5-3 in their last eight to even be 17-13 heading into the conference tournament with a legitimate chance at the NIT.

Stay tuned for the second Bedlam Impact after the teams meet again later in the season.